COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The Eastern Transportation Coalition (ETC) is releasing the final report from its 2025/26 motor carrier work, examining what would be required for future truck funding approaches to work in practice.
Conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation System Funding Alternatives (STSFA) grant program, Phase 5 builds on three previous Coalition truck pilots conducted since 2018. While earlier phases demonstrated that mileage-based user fee (MBUF) transactions can be measured, processed and reported, Phase 5 looked beyond technical capability to examine operational impacts, administrative burden, governance and accountability. The work also examined other potential funding approaches, including a kWh-based fee and flat annual fee scenarios, and how they could affect motor carriers and public agencies.
Unwrapping Complexities
Organized under the theme Unwrapping Complexities, the project included two real-world pilots, a federal truck tax and fee scenario analysis and two operational case studies. Together, the work provided a closer look at the data, responsibilities, administrative requirements and potential impacts associated with different funding approaches.
According to ETC, trucking is both a major user and funder of the nation’s transportation system. Trucks account for approximately 5% of registered vehicles and about 10% of vehicle miles traveled, while contributing an estimated 42% of Highway Trust Fund revenue. Recognizing that trucks cannot simply be treated as large cars, the Coalition has worked closely with the motor carrier community throughout its future transportation funding research.
“Finding a sustainable way to fund the nation’s transportation system requires more than identifying a fee that can be calculated,” said Dr. Patricia Hendren, ETC executive director. “We need to understand what data is available, who would be responsible for each function, how a system would be audited and enforced and what the practical impacts would be for motor carriers and agencies. This work brings those questions into the open for consideration by decision makers.”
Key Findings
The report identifies four key findings:
- Registered Weight Remains the Most Practical Basis for Rate Setting.
- A kWh-Based Fee Is Not a Practical Transportation Funding Solution Under Current Conditions.
- Flat Fees May Simplify Payment, but They Weaken the Link Between Road Use and Payment.
- System Design Determines Administrative Cost, Burden and Acceptance.
Industry stakeholders highlighted the value of the report in informing future transportation funding discussions.
“The Eastern Transportation Coalition’s latest report takes practical steps toward determining the best transportation funding options for motor carriers,” said Darrin Roth, American Trucking Associations‘ vice president of highway policy. “By taking a deep dive into the complexities and diversity of the trucking industry, the report reinforces the need for user fees to be carefully designed. Policymakers must prioritize fairness over convenience when considering any new funding mechanism.”
Shaping the Future of Funding
“The Eastern Transportation Coalition has long demonstrated a commitment to exploring transportation funding mechanisms in a thorough and pragmatic manner,” said Todd Spence, president, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. “Through the Coalition’s Motor Carrier Working Group, trucking industry representatives like OOIDA have been able to provide critical perspectives on how funding alternatives could impact our members. Those unique perspectives are reflected in the Phase 5 report released today. As a result, we believe this document will be another critical resource in shaping the future of transportation funding in the U.S.”
Careful Analysis Needed
“The Eastern Transportation Coalition’s Phase 5 report provides valuable insight into the complexities of trucking operations and transportation funding alternatives,” said Dave Heller, senior vice president of safety & government affairs, Truckload Carriers Association. “The findings reinforce that important questions remain regarding the implementation of any mileage-based user fee system and that careful analysis is needed before moving toward broader adoption. We appreciate the Coalition’s continued engagement with industry stakeholders and commitment to incorporating trucking’s perspective into this work.”
A Combined Effort
“The Coalition’s work shows why real-world testing and early stakeholder involvement are essential,” Hendren said. “An approach that appears simple from one perspective may require substantial coordination, verification, and support behind the scenes. Working through those issues now can help avoid unintended consequences and provide policymakers with a clearer understanding of the choices involved.”
ETC remains neutral on which transportation funding solution, or combination of solutions, should ultimately be pursued. Its role is to provide decision makers with real-world data, practical analysis, and stakeholder-informed findings that can support the national evaluation of sustainable transportation funding options.
“The report recommends that future work focus on governance and multi-state coordination, compliance and enforcement and the potential impacts on intrastate and smaller commercial vehicles that are not currently included in existing interstate reporting structures,” ETC said.
Read the full report here.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
